Friday, November 9, 2007

REHN CONFIRMS SUPPORT TO LAJCAK

BRUSSELS, Belgium (November 9,2007) – EU Commissioner for Enlargement Olli Rehn, stated at a meeting in Brussels with the International Community's High Representative in Bosnia Miroslav Lajcak that Bosnia has a definitive EU perspective and that Lajcak has the full support of the EU, the Office of the International Community's High Representative (OHR) announced.

The Mostar Declaration is the good basis which needs to be worked on in order to start the process of initialling the Stabilisationa and Association Agreement between Bosnia ans European Union, the announcement states.

Lajcak agreed with Rehn’s opinion and asked for calming down of the artificial political crisis in Bosnia. He also emphasized the need of taking first steps in the process of implementation of the Mostar Declaration.

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT OFFICIALS CONCERNED ABOUT POLITICAL SITUATION IN BOSNIA

BRUSSELS, Belgium (November 9,2007) – The FBiH Entity Vice President Mirsad Kebo held a meeting with European Parliament’s Delegation for Southeast Europe Chair Doris Pack and other officials in Brussels.

According to Kebo they are worried by the political situation in Bosnia and seek answers and solutions to the current situation, especially since with the signing of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement by Serbia on Wednesday Bosnia has remained the only country in the region which has neither initialled nor signed this agreement.

“I provided them useful information which will help the European Parliament reach decisions at the upcoming session, which will help Bosnia to overcome the current situation and move towards the path of stabilisation and fulfilment of obligations that will remove the final obstacles for signing the Stabilisation and Association Agreement”, Kebo said.

Ask to assess what level of support the International Community's High Representative in Bosnia Miroslav Lajcak enjoys in Brussels, Kebo said that the High Representative has the EU’s unquestionable support.

SILAJDZIC AND US CONGRESSMEN DISCUSSED POSSIBILITY OF SIGNING THE AGREEMENT ON FREE TRADE BETWEEN BOSNIA AND US

WASHINGTON, USA (November 9,2007) – A member of the Bosnian Presidency Haris Silajdzic continued met with several US congressmen and senators. The main topic was political situation in Bosnia.

At a meeting with congressmen Dan Rohrabacher, Mike Ross, Frank Wolf, Chris Smith, Elton Gallegly and Mark Kirk, Silajdzic was given support for a democratic constitution of Bosnia and determination of the USA to actively participate in the BiH reform processes.

A special accent was placed on the possibility of signing the Agreement on Free Trade between Bosnia and USA, for the purpose of a maximum use of all the capacities of Bosnia prior to its association to the EU.

Such an agreement would be, in the situation such as this one, of an extraordinary economic and strategic significance and several US congressmen have expressed a strong enthusiasm about it.

Silajdzic also called the congressmen to join the Bosnian Friendship Club at the US Congress.

Congressmen McDermot and Kirk immediately became members of the Club. Others are expected to join in. The Club now has 12 members. It is a result of active participation of Bosnian – US Advisory Couoncil for BiH, which is an non-governmental and non-profitable organization of the Bosnian Diaspora in Washington.

Silajdzic greatly supported the efforts of the institution’s board. He called the board members to continue with their support activities for Bosnia.

BOSNIA AND SLOVENIA SIGNED AGREEMENT ON SOCIAL INSURANCE

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (November 9,2007) - The Slovenian Ambassador to Bosnia Natasa Vodusek and the Bosnian Civil Affairs Minister Sredoje Novic signed in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo the Administrative Agreement that will facilitate the implementation of the Agreement on Social Insurance, which representatives of Slovenia and Bosnia signed in February 2007.

The agreement deals with the issue of health insurance for Slovenian and Bosnian citizens.The Bosnian Presidency ratified the Agreement in June 2007 and it is yet to be ratified by the Slovenian government.

“The Bosnian side ended the procedure and we are now waiting for the Slovenian side to do the same. We also expect the Slovenian side to deliver certification of ratification so that the Agreement can take effect”, Novic said.

The Slovenian Ambassador to Bosnia Natasa Vodusek announced that the Slovenian side could complete the ratification procedure by New Year and stressed that the agreement represents only one from a series of steps the Slovenian government is taking to make easier the accession of Bosnia to the European Union.

REGIONAL CONFERENCE ON GENDER EQUALITY HELD IN SARAJEVO

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (November 9,2007) – A two-day conference on gender equality was held in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo on Wednesday and Thursday. The conference entitled “Gender Action Plan and Sex Equality in the Light of European Integrations”, was organized by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the Bosnian Agency for Gender Equality.

The frame purpose of the conference was to emphasize the importance sex equality as a political goal and as one of the important issues in the context of European integrations processes.

Zeljko Knez, Advisor to the Bosnian President Zejko Komsic stated that Bosnia managed to implement the institutional mechanisms in the sector, especially after the Agency for Gender Equality was formed.

“One proof of the country’s interest in the issue is passing of the Law on Equality of Sexes”, Knez said.

Apart from institutional mechanisms in certain countries, the fact is that the issue of gender equality has become a part of political dialogue. UNDP observed that the inequality of sexes is seen at the labour market. Often times, men get up to 15 per cent higher salaries.

According to a research, the Bosnian industrial sector has the mismatch of 42 per cent.

At the Albanian labour market, participation of women in 22 per cent. Croatia has shown a significant progress in the sector, UNDP representative for Europe Christine McNab said.

It is difficult for a woman, economically dependent to be a part of the public life. That is why the gender equality dialogue should go further than the regulations.

”We will keep helping Bosnia in the projects that are gender-equality related in 2008”, Michael Docherty, Head of the EC’s Commission to the Bosnian department for Stabilization and Social development said.

”EU will soon mark the 50th anniversary of sex equality policy. The 1957 Agreement on equality of sexes has given greater rights for women and Articles 2 and 3 of the Agreement ask for complete elimination of sex inequality”, Docherty said.

”Our task is to move towards an efficient implementation of the regulations from the sector. According to the World Bank data, participation of men at the labour market is 57 per cent. Women have 43 per cent participation”, Docherty added.

”One cannot say that human trafficking, especially with women and girls has decreased. That is the phenomenon not caused solely by social vulnerability women who become heads of families after their husbands migrate to other countries. That is also related to their physical vulnerability”, UNDP representative Kori Udovicki said.

Safet Halilovic, the Bosnian Minister of Human Rights and Refugees,stated that the Bosnian state institutions are fully supportive of implementation of goals planned by the Gender Plan adopted in September of 2006.

”EU is opened for the countries which, among other, implement the gender equality principles. Implementation of the Gender Action Plan is one of preconditions and obligations of Bosnia in the process of European integrations”, Halilovic said.

The key recommendations of governmental institutional mechanisms in the gender equality sector and UNDP support was presented in the closing.

BOSNIAN VERSION OF FLORENCE HARTMANN'S BOOK "PEACE AND PUNISHMENT" IN STORES STARTING TODAY

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (November 9,2007) – Bosnian bookstore Buybook announced that the Bosnian version of the book by Florence Hartmann entitled “Peace and Punishment – Permanent Wars of the International Politics and Judiciary” will be sold in the stores in Bosnia starting today,Friday, November 9.

Florence Hartmann,former ICTY Spokesperson,caused a stir with her book by revealing that the Russian Government hid Serbian war criminal Radovan Karadzic.

Also,according to Hartmann,Great Britain, USA and France purposefully left free former leaders of the Serbians living in Bosnia,Serbian war criminals Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic who are wanted for genocide committed during the 1992-1995 Serbian aggression against Bosnia.

People will also buy able to purchase the book at the central Sarajevo bookstores, apart from the Buybook bookstores in Sarajevo, Mostar and Tuzla.

A press conference will take place in Sarajevo on November 13. Florence Hartmann will attend.